France Train Derailment Injures 44 as Police Investigate Possible Sabotage

French authorities are investigating whether a deliberate act may have caused a regional passenger train to derail in Normandy, leaving 44 people injured.

The train, carrying 186 passengers from Rouen to Caen, derailed Friday evening near Cléon in the Seine-Maritime department of northwestern France. The incident occurred at around 7:45 p.m. local time.

An 18-year-old woman was among those injured and was evacuated by helicopter to Rouen University Hospital after being seriously hurt. The other injured passengers were treated by emergency medical teams at the scene.

French police said investigators discovered a piece of rail on the track that was probably linked to the derailment. Authorities are now examining whether the object ended up on the track accidentally or whether it was deliberately placed there.

Police have not confirmed that sabotage occurred, and prosecutors have cautioned against drawing conclusions while the investigation remains ongoing.

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The investigation has been entrusted to the Rouen judicial police. Authorities are examining the train, the track and other evidence to determine exactly what caused the derailment.

The train driver was also tested for alcohol and drugs, with the results reportedly coming back negative.

Emergency services mounted a major response after the crash, with about 130 firefighters, medical teams and dozens of emergency vehicles deployed to the scene. Rail traffic in the area was suspended while rescue operations and investigations were carried out.

The derailment comes as France remembers several serious rail accidents in recent decades.

In July 2013, a train derailed at Brétigny-sur-Orge, south of Paris, killing seven people. In November 2015, a high-speed TGV train conducting tests derailed near Eckwersheim, close to Strasbourg, killing 11 people.

The latest incident has also drawn attention because of a deadly high-speed train collision in Adamuz, southern Spain, in January, which killed 46 people and injured more than 100.

For now, French authorities are treating the Cléon derailment as an active investigation. Whether the piece of rail was accidentally present on the track or deliberately placed there remains a key question for investigators.